the kitchenof his little thatched cottage. ‘Do you live next door to Hyacinth Bucket?’ Jamie asked with a laugh, giving the first pancake a flip.
‘Yes, yes, I do. She
is
her, Jamie. And God help us George had only gone and chosen her frilliest nighties to rip into shreds. They must have been her very best.’
‘Here you go, tell me if this doesn’t make you forget all about it,’ Jamie said, passing Alison a pancake and a bottle of maple syrup. He ladled more mixture into the pan to cook up a second.
‘Yum,’ Ali said with her mouth full. ‘Outstanding, sir.’
Jamie slid into the seat opposite and put slices of chopped up banana in his pancake before covering them in chocolate sauce.
‘Ali, you know I mentioned I had something to talk about with you,’ he said, folding the pancake over.
Alison nodded, then swallowed the mouthful of pancake. ‘I do indeed, and that’s exactly why I’m here. So what’s the big mystery?’ she asked.
‘It’s good news, I think,’ Jamie said, a hesitant smile on his face. ‘A big step, but an exciting one. It’ll be a totally new start for me and a potentially interesting opportunity for you.’
Jamie had Alison’s full attention now. He could gossip with the best of them, but when it came to his own life he tended to be private, so she knew this must be something he had given seriousthought.
‘Ali, I’ve decided to start up a new business. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for years, but with one thing and another …’ Jamie’s attention drifted briefly. For a moment Alison could picture Seb with them in the kitchen at the worktop, he would have been making tea while Jamie flipped the pancakes. They had been one of the strongest teams Alison knew.
‘You know that estate agent on the high street that went quiet and eventually closed?’ Jamie looked her squarely in the eye, as she tried to remember. The shops on the high street seemed to be changing so often nowadays. ‘The one opposite your friend Maggie’s flower shop?’ he prompted.
‘Oh yes,’ Alison said, ‘I saw it was empty. It’s a nice space inside, wasted on an estate agency really.’
Jamie nodded. ‘That’s right. Well. It’s up for rent.’
‘And this affects us how?’ she asked, trying to guess what Jamie had up his sleeve.
‘A café, Ali,’ Jamie said. ‘But I’m not talking about just any café. Great cakes, fresh coffee, a wide selection of teas, yes, all that. But more than that. This would also be an inspiring place to be, with gorgeous vintage furniture and retro styling and a gallery space. BLITZ SPIRIT,’ he said, raising a hand to indicate a sign above the shop.
Alison tilted her head, as if viewing the imaginary sign, slowly letting the idea sink in.
‘I just think we all deservesomething a bit funkier than Joey’s, don’t you?’ Jamie said, and Alison laughed. Joey’s café on the high street had been around since she was a little girl, but longevity didn’t always equal charm. The service was awful and the food wasn’t much better – everyone in Charlesworth went there occasionally, for the simple reason that it was the only place where you could sit down and eat. What Jamie was suggesting was something very different though, a café that would be the social hub that their old market town needed.
‘So I’m thinking that as well as being a chic hangout, it could bring out the town’s creative side – with top-notch art and crafts for sale inside.’
‘It sounds great,’ Alison said. ‘I can already picture you running it actually.’
‘Thanks, hon,’ Jamie said, smiling, the creases around his eyes deepening. ‘But look, this doesn’t have to be all me. If you like the idea, you can be part of it too.’ He continued, ‘I’m just putting this idea out there, no pressure. But I was wondering if you’d like to come in as a partner, Ali.’
Alison sat back in her chair and listened as Jamie went on.
‘So the idea is that
‘Yes, yes, I do. She
is
her, Jamie. And God help us George had only gone and chosen her frilliest nighties to rip into shreds. They must have been her very best.’
‘Here you go, tell me if this doesn’t make you forget all about it,’ Jamie said, passing Alison a pancake and a bottle of maple syrup. He ladled more mixture into the pan to cook up a second.
‘Yum,’ Ali said with her mouth full. ‘Outstanding, sir.’
Jamie slid into the seat opposite and put slices of chopped up banana in his pancake before covering them in chocolate sauce.
‘Ali, you know I mentioned I had something to talk about with you,’ he said, folding the pancake over.
Alison nodded, then swallowed the mouthful of pancake. ‘I do indeed, and that’s exactly why I’m here. So what’s the big mystery?’ she asked.
‘It’s good news, I think,’ Jamie said, a hesitant smile on his face. ‘A big step, but an exciting one. It’ll be a totally new start for me and a potentially interesting opportunity for you.’
Jamie had Alison’s full attention now. He could gossip with the best of them, but when it came to his own life he tended to be private, so she knew this must be something he had given seriousthought.
‘Ali, I’ve decided to start up a new business. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for years, but with one thing and another …’ Jamie’s attention drifted briefly. For a moment Alison could picture Seb with them in the kitchen at the worktop, he would have been making tea while Jamie flipped the pancakes. They had been one of the strongest teams Alison knew.
‘You know that estate agent on the high street that went quiet and eventually closed?’ Jamie looked her squarely in the eye, as she tried to remember. The shops on the high street seemed to be changing so often nowadays. ‘The one opposite your friend Maggie’s flower shop?’ he prompted.
‘Oh yes,’ Alison said, ‘I saw it was empty. It’s a nice space inside, wasted on an estate agency really.’
Jamie nodded. ‘That’s right. Well. It’s up for rent.’
‘And this affects us how?’ she asked, trying to guess what Jamie had up his sleeve.
‘A café, Ali,’ Jamie said. ‘But I’m not talking about just any café. Great cakes, fresh coffee, a wide selection of teas, yes, all that. But more than that. This would also be an inspiring place to be, with gorgeous vintage furniture and retro styling and a gallery space. BLITZ SPIRIT,’ he said, raising a hand to indicate a sign above the shop.
Alison tilted her head, as if viewing the imaginary sign, slowly letting the idea sink in.
‘I just think we all deservesomething a bit funkier than Joey’s, don’t you?’ Jamie said, and Alison laughed. Joey’s café on the high street had been around since she was a little girl, but longevity didn’t always equal charm. The service was awful and the food wasn’t much better – everyone in Charlesworth went there occasionally, for the simple reason that it was the only place where you could sit down and eat. What Jamie was suggesting was something very different though, a café that would be the social hub that their old market town needed.
‘So I’m thinking that as well as being a chic hangout, it could bring out the town’s creative side – with top-notch art and crafts for sale inside.’
‘It sounds great,’ Alison said. ‘I can already picture you running it actually.’
‘Thanks, hon,’ Jamie said, smiling, the creases around his eyes deepening. ‘But look, this doesn’t have to be all me. If you like the idea, you can be part of it too.’ He continued, ‘I’m just putting this idea out there, no pressure. But I was wondering if you’d like to come in as a partner, Ali.’
Alison sat back in her chair and listened as Jamie went on.
‘So the idea is that
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